Congresshttp://wnpr.org
enWith Reid Out, Republicans See An Opportunityhttp://wnpr.org/post/reid-out-republicans-see-opportunity
Harry Reid, the wily Democratic Senate leader, was likely — once again — to be one of the most vulnerable incumbents up for re-election in 2016.<p>Few, though, would have bet the house against Reid — a sharp-elbowed campaigner — especially in a presidential year when demography will favor Democrats in a state where almost 3 in 10 people are Hispanic.<p>"Do you really want to go up against Harry Reid?" said one national GOP operative, pointing out Reid's bare-knuckles style of campaigning.<p>But with Reid announcing Friday he will not run for re-election, it's a different story.<p>"It's a totalFri, 27 Mar 2015 18:18:00 +0000Domenico Montanaro38118 at http://wnpr.orgWith Reid Out, Republicans See An OpportunityBoehner Plans Trip To Israel This Monthhttp://wnpr.org/post/boehner-plans-trip-israel
House Speaker John Boehner plans to travel to Israel at the end of the month, close on the heels of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's re-election and the Israeli leader's controversial address to Congress.<p>Although there are no details on who he might meet in Israel, Boehner "looks forward to visiting the country, discussing our shared priorities for peace and security in the region, and further strengthening the bond between the United States and Israel," his spokesman, Kevin Smith, said in a statement.<p>As The Associated Press notes: "On the surface, the Republican leader's announcementFri, 20 Mar 2015 18:50:00 +0000Scott Neuman37762 at http://wnpr.orgBoehner Plans Trip To Israel This MonthWhy Federal Budgets Aren't What You Think They Arehttp://wnpr.org/post/why-federal-budgets-arent-what-you-think-they-are
<p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Pd2WPjzfzg</p>Tue, 17 Mar 2015 11:06:00 +0000S.V. Dáte37553 at http://wnpr.orgWhy Federal Budgets Aren't What You Think They AreSen. Murphy: GOP Letter to Iran Crosses a Linehttp://wnpr.org/post/sen-murphy-gop-letter-iran-crosses-line
<p>Senator Chris Murphy said this week that as long as he's been in the Senate, he's never seen anything like <a href="http://wnpr.org/post/iran-calls-gop-letter-propaganda-ploy-offers-enlighten-authors" target="_blank">the letter that Republicans recently wrote to Iranian leaders.</a> He called the move by 47 GOP lawmakers "unprecedented."</p><p>Fri, 13 Mar 2015 13:43:14 +0000John Dankosky37365 at http://wnpr.orgSen. Murphy: GOP Letter to Iran Crosses a LineSen. Chris Murphy Weighs in on U.S., Middle East; 44 Years of Max Creek http://wnpr.org/post/sen-chris-murphy-weighs-us-middle-east-44-years-max-creek
<p>Earlier this week, 47 GOP senators signed a letter to Iranian leaders warning against a nuclear agreement. The letter comes less than a month before the Obama administration is scheduled to complete a draft deal on Iran’s nuclear programs, and just a week after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial speech before the U.S. Congress.&nbsp;</p><p>Fri, 13 Mar 2015 13:00:00 +0000Lydia Brown37378 at http://wnpr.orgSen. Chris Murphy Weighs in on U.S., Middle East; 44 Years of Max Creek Why The GOP Iran Letter Is Spurring Debate Over An 18th Century Lawhttp://wnpr.org/post/why-gop-iran-letter-spurring-debate-over-18th-century-law
<strong>Updated at 5:15 p.m.Wed, 11 Mar 2015 20:15:00 +0000editor37312 at http://wnpr.orgWhy The GOP Iran Letter Is Spurring Debate Over An 18th Century LawIran Calls GOP Letter 'Propaganda Ploy,' Offers To 'Enlighten' Authorshttp://wnpr.org/post/iran-calls-gop-letter-propaganda-ploy-offers-enlighten-authors
Republican senators' letter to Iran about ongoing nuclear talks has prompted a lengthy response from Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who delivered an overview of international law as he critiqued the letter.<p>Zarif said he was astonished by the letter, saying it suggests the U.S.Tue, 10 Mar 2015 13:59:00 +0000Bill Chappell37233 at http://wnpr.orgIran Calls GOP Letter 'Propaganda Ploy,' Offers To 'Enlighten' AuthorsSens. McCain and Murphy Meet With Connecticut Ukrainian Communityhttp://wnpr.org/post/sens-mccain-and-murphy-meet-connecticut-ukrainian-community
<p>Ukrainian Americans, many with family members still living in the country, packed Hartford's Ukrainian National Home for the town hall meeting about the situation in the Eastern European country.</p><p>Mon, 09 Mar 2015 16:10:55 +0000Ray Hardman37169 at http://wnpr.orgSens. McCain and Murphy Meet With Connecticut Ukrainian CommunityIsrael's Netanyahu Delivers Controversal Speech to Congresshttp://wnpr.org/post/israels-netanyahu-delivers-controversal-speech-congress
<p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the United States and President Barack Obama for aiding Israel during a speech to Congress on Tuesday. He also warned of the threat that Iran poses to Israel’s survival.</p><p>The world must unite in order to “stop Iran’s march of conquest, subjugation, and terror,” Netanyahu said.</p><p>Tue, 03 Mar 2015 17:54:16 +0000Heather Brandon36863 at http://wnpr.orgIsrael's Netanyahu Delivers Controversal Speech to CongressIn Speech To Congress, Netanyahu Blasts 'A Very Bad Deal' With Iran http://wnpr.org/post/netanyahu-outline-iran-threats-much-anticipated-speech-congress
<em><strong>Updated at 2:09 p.m. ET</strong></em><p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a deal the U.S. and its allies are pursuing with Iran over its nuclear program is "very bad" because, according to him, it doesn't take away the Islamic republic's ability to ultimately obtain nuclear weapons.<p>"This is a bad deal — a very bad deal," Netanyahu told a joint meeting of Congress today. "We're better off without it."<p>He said such a deal will "guarantee" that Iran gets nuclear weapons because it allows the Islamic republic to keep much of its nuclear infrastructure in place.Tue, 03 Mar 2015 14:37:00 +0000Krishnadev Calamur36864 at http://wnpr.orgIn Speech To Congress, Netanyahu Blasts 'A Very Bad Deal' With Iran Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Congress' Longest-Serving Woman, To Retirehttp://wnpr.org/post/sen-barbara-mikulski-congress-longest-serving-woman-retire
<strong>Updated at 12:15 p.m. ET.</strong><p>Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., who has served in the Senate and in Congress longer than any other woman, says she will not seek a sixth term in 2016.<p>Mikulski, 78, announced her decision Monday in Baltimore.<p>" 'Do I spend my time raising money, or do I spend my time raising hell?' " she said she asked herself, according to The Associated Press.<p>Mikulski was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1976 and has served in the Senate since 1987. She was the first woman to chair the Senate Appropriations Committee.Mon, 02 Mar 2015 17:17:25 +0000Jasmine Garsd36809 at http://wnpr.orgSen. Barbara Mikulski, Congress' Longest-Serving Woman, To RetireRep. Rosa DeLauro Opposes GOP Education Legislationhttp://wnpr.org/post/rep-rosa-delauro-opposes-gop-education-legislation
<p>Last week’s Congressional wrangling over Homeland Security funding temporarily ended House debates in Washington on the GOP’s version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as No Child Left Behind. &nbsp;</p><p>Republicans would take away much of the federal government’s authority over how states and local school districts spend federal education dollars. Some conservative critics say the bill doesn't go far enough in scaling back the federal role in education.</p><p>Democratic Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro spoke out last week against the GOP version of the bill.</p><p>Mon, 02 Mar 2015 16:02:27 +0000Diane Orson36801 at http://wnpr.orgRep. Rosa DeLauro Opposes GOP Education LegislationNetanyahu: U.S., Israel Agree On No Nukes For Iran, Split On How To Get Therehttp://wnpr.org/post/netanyahu-us-israel-agree-no-nukes-iran-split-how-get-there
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that while the U.S. and Israel agree that Iran should not get nuclear weapons, they disagree about how to stop the Islamic republic. But, he tells the 2015 American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference in Washington, reports of a decline in U.S.-Israeli relations are "not only premature, they're just wrong."<p>Netanyahu says his planned speech to Congress on Tuesday is not intended to be a slight to President Obama.Mon, 02 Mar 2015 15:26:00 +0000Krishnadev Calamur36806 at http://wnpr.orgNetanyahu: U.S., Israel Agree On No Nukes For Iran, Split On How To Get ThereObama Administration Intensifies Criticism Of Israel's Netanyahuhttp://wnpr.org/post/netanyahus-talk-destructive-us-israel-ties-susan-rice-says
<p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6bKlFOrhEY</p>Wed, 25 Feb 2015 15:49:40 +0000Krishnadev Calamur36559 at http://wnpr.orgObama Administration Intensifies Criticism Of Israel's NetanyahuObama Vetoes Keystone XL Pipeline Billhttp://wnpr.org/post/obama-vetoes-keystone-xl-pipeline-bill
<strong>Updated at 4:04 p.m. ET</strong><p>The White House has notified the Senate that President Obama has, as promised, vetoed congressional legislation to approve the <a href="http://www.npr.org/tags/140086821/keystone-xl-pipeline" target="_blank">Keystone XL pipeline</a> project.<p>"Through this bill, the United States Congress attempts to circumvent longstanding and proven processes for determining whether or not building and operating a cross-border pipeline serves the national interest," Obama said in the notification to the Senate.<p>The U.S.Tue, 24 Feb 2015 21:30:21 +0000Krishnadev Calamur36513 at http://wnpr.orgFormer Senator Joe Lieberman: Send Weapons to Ukrainehttp://wnpr.org/post/former-senator-joe-lieberman-send-weapons-ukraine
<p>Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have resulted in a cease-fire which is set to begin Sunday. <a href="http://wnpr.org/post/ukraine-cease-fire-reached-along-40-billion-aid-deal" target="_blank">But there's still a long ways to go</a> before a lasting peace can exist between the two countries.</p><p>Former Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman doesn't think the cease-fire will hold. He told CNN that the U.S. should send weapons to Ukrainian fighters to help counter Russian-backed troops and President Vladamir Putin.</p><p>"I think if we give them the weapons to defend themselves, it actually raises the prospects that the cease-fire will hold because it creates a little more balance on the ground and creates a bit of a disincentive for Putin and the separatists to keep moving through eastern Ukraine," said Lieberman.</p><p>Thu, 12 Feb 2015 19:52:51 +0000Tucker Ives35937 at http://wnpr.orgFormer Senator Joe Lieberman: Send Weapons to UkraineSen. Chris Murphy Questions Obama's Plan to Authorize War on ISIShttp://wnpr.org/post/sen-chris-murphy-questions-obamas-plan-authorize-war-isis
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5;">President Barack Obama is asking Congress to formally authorize war against Islamic State militants.</span></p><p>The request is limited to three years, with no restriction as to where U.S. forces could pursue the threat.</p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5;">Obama's proposal bans "enduring offensive combat operations," an ambiguous term intended as compromise between lawmakers who want authority for ground troops and those who don't. In a statement delivered Wednesday, Obama said his request "does not call for the deployment of U.S. ground forces to Iraq or Syria." He said local forces are in the best position to fight a ground war.</span></p><p>Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy is one of those opponents to ground forces.</p><p>"We’ve got to be smart about this fight," he said. "A smart strategy recognizes that combat troops, in the end, are just going to become bulletin board material for terrorists to bring even more forces to the fight in the Middle East, and across the globe."</p><p>Wed, 11 Feb 2015 21:15:53 +0000Tucker Ives35857 at http://wnpr.orgSen. Chris Murphy Questions Obama's Plan to Authorize War on ISISWhite House Asks Congress For War Powers To Fight ISIShttp://wnpr.org/post/white-house-will-request-war-powers-congress-today-senator-says
In a move that is sure to set off a new round of debate over how the U.S.Wed, 11 Feb 2015 13:47:00 +0000Bill Chappell35842 at http://wnpr.orgU.S. Senator Describes Train Wreckagehttp://wnpr.org/post/us-senator-describes-train-wreckage
<a href="http://cpa.ds.npr.org/wamc/audio/2015/02/adunne_2-06_voicerblumtrain.mp3" class="asset-audio"></a><p><img class="wysiwyg-asset-image-wrapper left" data-caption="" data-attribution="Credit WAMC, Allison Dunne" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/wamc/files/styles/card_280/public/201502/photo_2-4.JPG" alt="" /><p>Two U.S. Senators and two congressional representatives Friday saw the wreckage and toured the crash site of Tuesday’s fiery Metro-North crash in Westchester County that left six people dead.&#160;<p>The officials, including U.S.Sat, 07 Feb 2015 18:25:38 +0000Allison Dunne35713 at http://wnpr.orgU.S. Senator Describes Train WreckageMcCain Calls Protesters 'Low-Life Scum' At Senate Hearinghttp://wnpr.org/post/mccain-calls-protesters-low-life-scum-senate-hearing
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., lashed out at anti-war demonstrators protesting the presence of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at a Senate hearing, calling them "low-life scum."<p>Kissinger, 91, and other former secretaries of state in both Republican and Democratic administrations, were at the Senate Armed Services Committee, which McCain chairs, for a hearing on global security challenges.<p>A small group of protesters held banners calling Kissinger a "war criminal" and urged his arrest for U.S.Thu, 29 Jan 2015 18:56:00 +0000Krishnadev Calamur35164 at http://wnpr.orgMcCain Calls Protesters 'Low-Life Scum' At Senate HearingObama's Budget Would Undo Broad, Automatic Cuts Made In 2013http://wnpr.org/post/obamas-budget-would-undo-broad-automatic-cuts-made-2013
When President Obama meets with House Democrats tonight during their retreat in Philadelphia, officials say he'll lay out the details of his budget proposal, which will include reversal of large cuts to federal spending instituted in 2013.<p>NPR's Mara Liasson reports that those spending cuts, known as the sequester, hit both the defense and domestic budgets.Thu, 29 Jan 2015 11:24:00 +0000Christopher Dean Hopkins35136 at http://wnpr.orgObama's Budget Would Undo Broad, Automatic Cuts Made In 2013Congressman Joe Courtney Turns Glaring Mistake in "Lincoln" Into a Teachable Momenthttp://wnpr.org/post/congressman-joe-courtney-turns-glaring-mistake-lincoln-teachable-moment
<p>One hundred fifty years ago on Saturday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 13th amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery.</p><p>To commemorate, Connecticut's Second District Congressman Joe Courtney issued a resource guide for students that details Connecticut's part in passing the amendment.</p><p>The guide also corrects a glaring mistake in Steven Spielberg's 2013 movie "Lincoln."</p><p>Wed, 28 Jan 2015 18:39:58 +0000Ray Hardman35088 at http://wnpr.orgCongressman Joe Courtney Turns Glaring Mistake in "Lincoln" Into a Teachable MomentSenate Says Climate Change Real, But Not Really Our Faulthttp://wnpr.org/post/senate-says-climate-change-real-not-really-our-fault
Breathtakingly broad as its jurisdiction may be, the U.S. Senate does not usually vote on the validity of scientific theories.<p>This week, it did. And science won. The Senate voted that climate change is real, and not a hoax. The vote was 98-1.<p>The vote was about an amendment to the bill approving the Keystone XL pipeline. The near-unanimity of the climate change judgment was notable, because so many senators have cast doubt on ideas of "global warming."<p>Republican Sen.Fri, 23 Jan 2015 15:06:00 +0000Ron Elving34859 at http://wnpr.orgSenate Says Climate Change Real, But Not Really Our FaultRep. Rosa DeLauro Urges Caution on Asian Trade Dealhttp://wnpr.org/post/rep-rosa-delauro-urges-caution-asian-trade-deal
<p>President Obama courted controversy with his own party in the State of the Union by again calling for a key Asian trade deal to be fast-tracked.</p><p>The Trans Pacific Partnership is opposed by some senior Democrats, who believe it will lead to a loss of jobs here.&nbsp;</p><p></p><p>Obama is asking to be given the authority to negotiate the deal without congressional oversight. Connecticut’s Third District Representative Rosa DeLauro said that’s not acceptable.</p><p>Wed, 21 Jan 2015 17:28:26 +0000Harriet Jones34742 at http://wnpr.orgRep. Rosa DeLauro Urges Caution on Asian Trade Deal'Tonight, We Turn The Page': Obama Lays Out 2015 Agendahttp://wnpr.org/post/live-blog-president-obama-delivers-2015-state-union-address
Delivering his sixth State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Obama faced a Congress that's now controlled by his Republican opponents.Wed, 21 Jan 2015 03:55:00 +0000Bill Chappell34710 at http://wnpr.org'Tonight, We Turn The Page': Obama Lays Out 2015 AgendaRep. DeLauro Leading Opposition To President Obama's Trade Proposalhttp://wnpr.org/post/rep-delauro-leading-opposition-president-obamas-trade-proposal
<img class="wysiwyg-asset-image-wrapper inset" data-caption="Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.)" data-attribution="Credit wikipedia.org" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/wamc/files/styles/card_280/public/201501/rosadelauro.jpg" alt="" /><p><a href="http://cpa.ds.npr.org/wamc/audio/2015/01/levulis-1-20-voicer-delauro.mp3" class="asset-audio"></a><p>As President Obama prepares for the State of the Union address tonight, some Democratic members of Congress are opposing one of the White House’s proposals.Tue, 20 Jan 2015 23:23:58 +0000Jim Levulis34709 at http://wnpr.orgRep. DeLauro Leading Opposition To President Obama's Trade ProposalObama Joins Ike, The Gipper, Bill And George II In A Club No One Wants To Be Inhttp://wnpr.org/post/obama-joins-ike-gipper-bill-and-george-ii-club-no-one-wants-be
President Obama begins his seventh year in office Tuesday facing a Congress where both the House and Senate are in the hands of the opposition party. He shares this in common with <em>every other president</em> fortunate enough to even have a seventh year in office since the 1950s.<p>Dwight Eisenhower in 1959, Ronald Reagan in 1987, Bill Clinton in 1999 and George W.Tue, 20 Jan 2015 20:16:00 +0000Ron Elving34686 at http://wnpr.orgObama Joins Ike, The Gipper, Bill And George II In A Club No One Wants To Be InObama: There's A Less Than 50-50 Chance Of A Nuclear Deal With Iran http://wnpr.org/post/obama-theres-less-5050-chance-nuclear-deal-iran
During a joint press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron, President Obama warned Congress that if it passed further sanctions against Iran, he would veto them.<p>The two leaders, speaking to the press after a series of bilateral meetings, stood shoulder to shoulder on all the issues that came before them. Cameron said that on Iran, he had been calling U.S.Fri, 16 Jan 2015 18:56:00 +0000Eyder Peralta34514 at http://wnpr.orgObama: There's A Less Than 50-50 Chance Of A Nuclear Deal With Iran Sen. Barbara Boxer Won't Seek 5th Term In Senatehttp://wnpr.org/post/sen-barbara-boxer-wont-seek-5th-term-senate
Four-term Sen. Barbara Boxer said she won't seek another term in the U.S. Senate in 2016, ending speculation about the California Democrat's political future.<p>"I will not be running for the Senate in 2016," she <a href="http://www.barbaraboxer.com/take-action/message-from-barbara">said in a taped interview</a> with her grandson Zach Rodham.<p>Boxer, 74, said neither age nor partisanship in Congress were factors in her decision.<p>Boxer, the junior senator from California, was first elected to the Senate in 1992. She served in the House for a decade before that.Thu, 08 Jan 2015 17:48:25 +0000Krishnadev Calamur34062 at http://wnpr.orgSen. Chris Murphy Pursues Strengthened "Buy American" Legislationhttp://wnpr.org/post/sen-chris-murphy-pursues-strengthened-buy-american-legislation
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5;">Senator Chris Murphy said he believes he can get debate this session on one of his signature issues – making the U.S. government buy American more often.</span></p><p>Mon, 05 Jan 2015 19:12:24 +0000Harriet Jones33886 at http://wnpr.orgSen. Chris Murphy Pursues Strengthened "Buy American" Legislation